/final-fantasy-x-2

Aesthetically, the world of Spira is essentially unchanged in the two years since Final
Fantasy X. Most areas from the original return (exceptions being the Omega Ruins and Baaj
Temple), with few new locations. The only significant changes include the reconstruction
of the village of Kilika and the clearing of the mist atop Mount Gagazet, revealing
forgotten ruins. Additionally, the Palace of St. Bevelle is now accessible throughout the
game, rather than only during mandatory storyline sequences. However, even with Sin gone,
fiends are no less populous than before.
Despite cosmetic changes, there are major differences in the ideology of Spira's people.
After Sin's defeat came the arrival of an era known as "the Eternal Calm". The priests of
the Yevon religion chose to expose the truth about the order,[3] leaving the population to
decide for themselves how to live in a world without that particular religion, and without
Sin. Advanced technology and the Al Bhed are now embraced by the population as a whole,
and most have begun to pursue leisures such as attending musical concerts and
participating in the sport of blitzball. Others have become hunters of ancient treasures,
ranging from coins and machinery long buried under the sands on Bikanel Island to spheres
in forgotten caves and ruins. Those who pursue the latter are known as "sphere hunters",
of which many groups have formed.
The three faction leaders: Nooj (left), Gippal (front), and Baralai (back)Despite the
absence of Sin and the corrupt maesters of Yevon, Spira is not without conflict. Young
people were especially quick to abandon Yevon and embrace machinery (called "machina" in
the game), eager to see Spira develop, while many of the older generation felt that
cultural changes were happening too quickly. As new ideals and practices began to sweep
Spira, several new political groups emerged. Most influential among them were the Youth
League, led by Mevyn Nooj, and the New Yevon Party, led by a former priest named "Trema"
until his disappearance, and later by Praetor Baralai. The Youth League consists mainly of
young people, determined to see Spira completely abandon its past practices, while the New
Yevon Party consists of members both old and young who felt that changes should be
gradual, their motto being "One thing at a time".
Following their formation, both the Youth League and New Yevon sought High Summoner Yuna's
support in the hopes of bolstering their political presence. She chose to remain neutral,
instead joining the Gullwings, the sphere hunter group to which her cousins[4] Brother and
Rikku belonged. She also began working with the excavation team of the Machine Faction, a
neutral group of Al Bhed researching more advanced machina technology, and led by a young
man named "Gippal".
As time passed, tensions between the Youth League and New Yevon began to escalate towards
violence. Meanwhile, Yuna sought spheres that she hoped would lead her to Tidus, her lost
love who vanished during the ending of Final Fantasy X. After defeating Sin, Yuna
initially retired to a quiet life on the island of Besaid, arranging appointments daily
with the citizens of Spira. However, Rikku brought Yuna a video sphere discovered on Mt.
Gagazet by her childhood guardian, Kimahri, now the elder of the Ronso Tribe. The sphere
displayed a young man with a strong resemblance to Tidus, apparently locked inside a
prison cell. Despite misgivings from Wakka—now married to his childhood friend,
Lulu—Rikku convinced Yuna that she had fulfilled her duty to Spira and deserved to
follow her heart.[5] Yuna then left Besaid to join the Gullwings and hunt for more clues
about Tidus.
Whereas Final Fantasy X drew heavily on ancient Japanese culture and Asian settings,[6]
Final Fantasy X-2 incorporated a number of elements from modern Japanese pop culture.[2]
An exception, however, is the Trainer dressphere, featuring the game's main characters
fighting alongside a dog, monkey and bird, the three animals befriended by the Japanese
folk hero Momotarō in a traditional story. Another exception is the Samurai dressphere,
which features each character fighting in traditional Japanese samurai armor.